Tame Air suspends Venezuela flights for non-payment

Ecuadorian airline Tame has suspended flights to Caracas, Venezuela, demanding $43 million in overdue payments for tickets.

About 80 passengers were left stranded on Thursday in Quito.

Tame says the Venezuelan Central Bank has not transferred any money to its Ecuadorian account since April 2013.

Tough foreign currency controls make it difficult for foreign airlines to repatriate money obtained from ticket sales in Venezuela. The government of President Nicolas Maduro is believed to owe more than $3 billion to several airlines, according to Venezuela’s Airline Association.

The $43 million owed by Venezuela to Tame amounts to one third of the company’s yearly revenue, according to Quito’s El Comercio newspaper.